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بچههای طرسناک و چرخوفلک بدشانسی
دوازده سال پیش، به مدت دوازده روز پیاپی، شهر کوچک بیوهآباد قربانی طوفان وحشتناکی شد. طوفانی که باعث گشایش دروازهای شد و انواع مختلفی از چیزهای پلید و ناپاک از آن به بیرون گریختند. از آن زمان به بعد دیگر در بیوهآباد از چیزهای عجیب و آدمهای عجیب استقبال نمیشود؛ چون هیچکس نمیتواند مطمئن باشد که پشت نقابها چه رازهایی پنهان است...
حالا در دوازدهمین سالگرد طوفان بزرگ، اتفاقات عجیب تازهای در شهر رخ میدهد. آدمها یکی پس از دیگری گم میشوند. سه دختر عجیبوغریب، ملقب به «بچههای ترسناک»، که بابت ویژگیهای عجیبشان در مدرسه با آنها بدرفتاری میشود، بهدنبال معلمِ محبوب گمشدهشان سعی در حل این معما دارند. معمایی که اگر حل نشود، میتواند بیوهآباد -و حتی دنیا را- به نابودی بکشاند!
حالا در دوازدهمین سالگرد طوفان بزرگ، اتفاقات عجیب تازهای در شهر رخ میدهد. آدمها یکی پس از دیگری گم میشوند. سه دختر عجیبوغریب، ملقب به «بچههای ترسناک»، که بابت ویژگیهای عجیبشان در مدرسه با آنها بدرفتاری میشود، بهدنبال معلمِ محبوب گمشدهشان سعی در حل این معما دارند. معمایی که اگر حل نشود، میتواند بیوهآباد -و حتی دنیا را- به نابودی بکشاند!
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
28 people are currently reading
1512 people want to read
About the author
Katy Towell
4 books219 followersKATY TOWELL is the creator of the Childrin R Skary website. She is also a graphic designer, writer, and illustrator in Portland with dreams of one day being the scary old lady in the house about which all the neighborhood children tell ghost stories.
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July 19, 2022
داستان کتاب در مورد سه دختر اسرارآمیزه که به دلایلی که بعدا بهتر متوجه میشیم، همیشه توسط مدیرشون تنبیه میشن. در نگاه اول این دخترها به نظر شر و دردسرساز میان ولی چیزی نمیگذره که میبینیم ماجرا چیز دیگهایه. داستان اصلی خیلی مرموز و هیجانانگیزه با چاشنی دلهره.
با اینکه یه جاهایی تصویرسازیهای کتاب جوریه که تصور کردنش سخته، ولی در عوض شخصیتهای کتاب خیلی بکر، بامزه و دوستداشتنیان.
نقاشیهای کتاب هم خیلی خوبن و کاش بیشتر بود.
+ ترجمه واقعا روون و عالی.
----------------------
یادگاری از کتاب:
همه توی زندگیشون روزهای سخت دارن و اینجور روزها تا ابد باقی نمیمونن!
با اینکه یه جاهایی تصویرسازیهای کتاب جوریه که تصور کردنش سخته، ولی در عوض شخصیتهای کتاب خیلی بکر، بامزه و دوستداشتنیان.
نقاشیهای کتاب هم خیلی خوبن و کاش بیشتر بود.
+ ترجمه واقعا روون و عالی.
----------------------
یادگاری از کتاب:
همه توی زندگیشون روزهای سخت دارن و اینجور روزها تا ابد باقی نمیمونن!
July 7, 2022
کمک کردن به آدمها کار خیر و بسیار خوبی است، اما اجر و پاداش چندانی ندارد.
قبل از هر چیز بگم که اگه دوست دارین دربارهی خلاصهی داستان، سابقهی جالب نویسنده، علت اینکه چرا توی عنوان بهجای «ترسناک» از «طرسناک» استفاده شده و... بیشتر بدونین، اینجا معرفی خودمونی و کاملی نوشتم که هیچ اسپویلی هم نداره.
حالا نظرم دربارهی خود کتاب:
۱
از محیط داستان شروع کنم. محیطی که داستان توش اتفاق میافته عجیب و جذابه. شاید در نگاه اول فکر کنیم «بیوهآباد» شهر کوچیکی مثل بقیهی شهرهاست، اما از اسمش مشخصه که باید جای متفاوتی باشه. بهخصوص بعد از طوفان دوازده روزهی دوازده سال پیش که خیلیها میگن دروازهای شیطانی رو باز کرده و چیزهای عجیبی ازش بیرون اومدن. نویسنده قصد نداره این شهر رو کامل برای ما تشریح کنه، از رازهاش بگه یا توضیح بده اتفاقات عجیب و غریب بعد از طوفان چی بوده که مردم رو تا این حد به هر چیز تازه و متفاوتی بدبین کرده. البته هر جایی لازم باشه اشارهای میکنه، اما بیشتر سعی داره ما رو با نتایج اون اتفاقات، که همون تغییر توی خلقوخوی مردمه، آشنا کنه. این کار رو هم خوب انجام میده. هرچی داستان پیش میره، از لابهلای مکالمهها و رفتارهای آدمهای شهر، کمکم میفهمیم چه جوی به شهر حاکمه. خودم طرفدار ابهام نیستم، اما ابهامی که این داستان داشت اذیتکننده نبود. چون چیزی رو ازت پنهان نمیکرد که ندونستنش به درک از داستان ضربه بزنه.
۲
شروع داستان جذابه. ورود دو تازهوارد به شهری جداافتاده که از تازهواردها هم استقبال نمیکنن. آشنایی با سه تا بچهای که بامزهان، اما چون متفاوتن همه باهاشون بدرفتاری دارن. ورود شخصیت ناجی (کتابدار جدید که متفاوت از کتابدارهای قبلیه) شاید کمی کلیشهای باشه، اما خب این کتاب اصلاً با کلیشهها کاری نداره و خیلی زود این کلیشه رو میشکنه.
۳
گفتم که داستان با کلیشهها کاری نداره. در واقع برعکس، بهنظرم نویسنده قصد کلیشهکشی هم داشته. برای مثال توی بیوهآباد عدد سیزده عدد نحسی نیست، بلکه عدد دوازده نحسه. یا مثلاً میبینیم که بچههای مدرسه با ادلید بدرفتاری میکنن، چون معتقدن گرگینه است و ما چون طرفدار این شخصیت هستیم، توی ذهنمون اینجوری تصویر میکنیم که خب ادلید گرگینه نیست و بقیه دارن اشتباه میکنن. اما کلاً از این دست کلیشهکشیها توی داستان زیاد دیده میشه.
۴
داستان ضرباهنگ خوبی داره. هیچجایی خستهکننده نمیشه، داستان مدام در حال پیشرویه و احساس نمیکنی که نویسنده جایی رو آب بسته.
۵
کتاب طراحیهایی داره که بهنظرم خیلی به فضاسازی کمک کرده. بهخصوص که تمام این طراحیها کار خود نویسنده است. طراحیهایی که مثل خود کتاب عجیبن، گاهی وهمناکن و در مجموع جذابن.
(داخل پرانتز: موقع ترجمهی کتاب، تصاویر رو توی نسخهی الکترونیک میدیدم، اما وقتی نسخهی چاپی به دستم رسید، دیدم چقدر چاپشدهشون بهتره و حس رو عالیتر منتقل میکنه)
۶
داستان طنز خفیفی هم داره. درسته که داستان وحشت محسوب میشه، اما شخصیتهای اصلیش بامزهان. مکالمههاشون میتونه لبخند رو به لب آدم بیاره. در کل هم فضاسازی، هم ترکیب شخصیتها و هم این طنز من رو خیلی یاد ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس از لمونی اسنیکت میانداخت. البته کاملاً متفاوت بود، اما بهنظرم روح اون مجموعه رو میشد توی بعضی از جاهای این کتاب حس کرد.
۷
شخصیتپردازیش رو دوست داشتم. رشد شخصیتی بچهها در طول داستان مشخص بود. درک روند شکلگیری دوستیشون و پیشرفتش خیلی لذتبخش بود.
۸
ترسناکه؟ بهنظرم برای مخاطب هدفش بله. واقعاً میتونه کتاب ترسناک خوبی محسوب بشه. بهخصوص اوایل داستان که ندانستههامون بیشتر از دانستههامونه. اما برای مخاطبی که کمی سنش بالاتر باشه، شاید بشه هیجانانگیز دونستش.
۹
مفاهیم جالبی توی کتاب بهش پرداخته و غیرمستقیم نقد شده. از آثار مخرب قلدری گرفته تا نقد کنار گذاشتن افراد متفاوت از جامعه. برای همین بهنظرم آموزنده هم بود.
۱۰
با همهی این تفاسیر شاید بگین چرا چهار ستاره؟ خب، با اینکه نقطهی پایانی کتاب رو دوست داشتم، یعنی اتفاقی که در نهایت افتاد متناسب با داستان بود، اما بهنظرم توی توضیح اتفاقات پایانی کمی خامدستانه رفتار شده بود. میشد اون اتفاقات رو بهتر توضیح داد، رفتار شخصیت منفی داستان توی صحنهی پایانی رو اینقدر منفعل توصیف نکرد و کمی بیشتر به اون بخش پایانی پر و بال داده میشد. این باعث شد یک ستاره از کتاب کم کنم و دلم هم میسوزه. چون اگه واقعاً این ضعف رو نداشت، با خیال راحت بهش پنج میدادم.
در مجموع کتاب متفاوتی بود و خوندن داستانهای متفاوت، بین داستانهایی که احساس میکنی تا حد زیادی از روی دست هم نوشته شدن، حس خوبی داره.
August 2, 2011
From August 2011 SLJ:
Gr 4-6–Twelve years ago, a ferocious storm tore through the town of Widowsbury, unleashing evil forces. Now, the residents view any strangers with distrust. And so when Mr. Zoethout arrives in town on the storm’s anniversary, it is no surprise that his vending cart full of sweets is ignored by the local children. At Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls, Adelaide, Maggie, and Beatrice have their own problems: the new librarian, the first person to ever extend a hand in friendship to them, has disappeared. The headmistress, who leads her other students in ridiculing the outcasts, insists that the girls scared her off. Certainly, Adelaide’s lupine sense of hearing and smell raises questions, and Maggie’s physical strength is well beyond that of most typical adolescent girls. And Beatrice’s ability to commune with dead animals is disconcerting. But the girls, certain that Miss Delia has not left of her own accord, are determined to find her, aided by the son of the cook at the neighboring boys’ school. They realize that the sudden appearance of a carousel in the woods has something to do with the evil forces at work and that they must do something before the town is destroyed. Towell has a loyal following of teens and adults with her “Childrin R Skary” website, which features illustrations and short films. Sadly, her attempt to bring the same element of creepiness to a younger audience in text format falls flat. Characters and dialogue are wooden, and the plot grows increasingly convoluted. Students with a taste for dark fantasy are better directed to books by Neil Gaiman or to Elizabeth Cody Kimmel’s “Suddenly Supernatural” series (Little, Brown).–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Gr 4-6–Twelve years ago, a ferocious storm tore through the town of Widowsbury, unleashing evil forces. Now, the residents view any strangers with distrust. And so when Mr. Zoethout arrives in town on the storm’s anniversary, it is no surprise that his vending cart full of sweets is ignored by the local children. At Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls, Adelaide, Maggie, and Beatrice have their own problems: the new librarian, the first person to ever extend a hand in friendship to them, has disappeared. The headmistress, who leads her other students in ridiculing the outcasts, insists that the girls scared her off. Certainly, Adelaide’s lupine sense of hearing and smell raises questions, and Maggie’s physical strength is well beyond that of most typical adolescent girls. And Beatrice’s ability to commune with dead animals is disconcerting. But the girls, certain that Miss Delia has not left of her own accord, are determined to find her, aided by the son of the cook at the neighboring boys’ school. They realize that the sudden appearance of a carousel in the woods has something to do with the evil forces at work and that they must do something before the town is destroyed. Towell has a loyal following of teens and adults with her “Childrin R Skary” website, which features illustrations and short films. Sadly, her attempt to bring the same element of creepiness to a younger audience in text format falls flat. Characters and dialogue are wooden, and the plot grows increasingly convoluted. Students with a taste for dark fantasy are better directed to books by Neil Gaiman or to Elizabeth Cody Kimmel’s “Suddenly Supernatural” series (Little, Brown).–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
August 4, 2022
داستان راجع به سه تا دختر بچه ست که ویژگیهایی دارن که اونا رو از بقیه متمایز والبته ترسناک میکنه.
کودکانه بودن فضای کتاب در ابتدا ممکنه در حوصله مخاطب بزرگسال نگنجه ولی با ادامه دادن و آشنایی بیشتر با بطن داستان، دیگه زیاد به چشم نمیاد. از فصل شش کتاب تا هشت داستان جون میگیره و وارد فاز ترسناک و معماییش میشه. هرچند داستان زود پرده از رازش برمیداره و مخاطب رو زیاد در تردید و اضطراب و هیجانش نگه نمیداره.
با این حال جمع بندی کتاب اوج فصل هشت رو ادامه نمیده.
اما داستان پیامهای اخلاقیای هم داره که برای رده سنی مخاطبش ارزشمند هم هست.
در کل از کتاب لذت بردم
کودکانه بودن فضای کتاب در ابتدا ممکنه در حوصله مخاطب بزرگسال نگنجه ولی با ادامه دادن و آشنایی بیشتر با بطن داستان، دیگه زیاد به چشم نمیاد. از فصل شش کتاب تا هشت داستان جون میگیره و وارد فاز ترسناک و معماییش میشه. هرچند داستان زود پرده از رازش برمیداره و مخاطب رو زیاد در تردید و اضطراب و هیجانش نگه نمیداره.
با این حال جمع بندی کتاب اوج فصل هشت رو ادامه نمیده.
اما داستان پیامهای اخلاقیای هم داره که برای رده سنی مخاطبش ارزشمند هم هست.
در کل از کتاب لذت بردم
June 20, 2013
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2011
Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow by Katy Towell is the story of three unusual girls, classmates at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls, and their efforts to save the town of Widowsbury and its inhabitants from a 12-year-old curse.
Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface. In this unfriendly atmosphere, three misfit students at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls, Beatrice, Adelaide and Maggie, are unwelcome, and are teased and bullied as a result. When townspeople and the friendly new school librarian disappear, these three, and a new friend, must work together to save the town and themselves from an evil threat.
Towell creates an atmospheric, scary story with three unusual and interesting heroines, and one small hero. The villain is tricky, though a bit easy to predict. The townspeople are portrayed as rather annoying, but that fits the small town, frightened, keep-your-head- down, suspect everyone scenario. Descriptions of the carousel and the traps laid for even suspicious townspeople are well done.
The illustrations including the cover are a highlight and I would have preferred to have had even more. The cover illustration was the reason I checked this out, and I would love to see this story as a graphic novel or animated film.
The school aspect will please some as well as the scariness of the story. As a former teacher and librarian I found the meaness of the headmistress and the former librarians to be annoyingly stereotypical and exaggerated, as was the sweetness and overly positive attitude of Miss Delia. There is some violence involving cruel punishments, and bullying. There are also paranormal occurences: unpleasant ghosts and monsters. I quite enjoyed the characters of Beatrice, Adelaide, Maggie and Steffen, and would read further adventures featuring them. I particularly enjoyed Steffen and his inventions. I would rate this as a 3.5 if that was an option.
For ages 10 and up, school, adventure, fantasy, horror, paranormal, friendship, and fans of Katy Towell.
Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface. In this unfriendly atmosphere, three misfit students at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls, Beatrice, Adelaide and Maggie, are unwelcome, and are teased and bullied as a result. When townspeople and the friendly new school librarian disappear, these three, and a new friend, must work together to save the town and themselves from an evil threat.
Towell creates an atmospheric, scary story with three unusual and interesting heroines, and one small hero. The villain is tricky, though a bit easy to predict. The townspeople are portrayed as rather annoying, but that fits the small town, frightened, keep-your-head- down, suspect everyone scenario. Descriptions of the carousel and the traps laid for even suspicious townspeople are well done.
The illustrations including the cover are a highlight and I would have preferred to have had even more. The cover illustration was the reason I checked this out, and I would love to see this story as a graphic novel or animated film.
The school aspect will please some as well as the scariness of the story. As a former teacher and librarian I found the meaness of the headmistress and the former librarians to be annoyingly stereotypical and exaggerated, as was the sweetness and overly positive attitude of Miss Delia. There is some violence involving cruel punishments, and bullying. There are also paranormal occurences: unpleasant ghosts and monsters. I quite enjoyed the characters of Beatrice, Adelaide, Maggie and Steffen, and would read further adventures featuring them. I particularly enjoyed Steffen and his inventions. I would rate this as a 3.5 if that was an option.
For ages 10 and up, school, adventure, fantasy, horror, paranormal, friendship, and fans of Katy Towell.
September 6, 2011
The characters were brilliant. Anyone who reads this book, even if they didn't like reading, would agree that they're fantastic. Maggie, for example, does the thing we always want to do; beat up the bullies. We feel sorry for Adelaide because it really isn't fair, the way they treat her. I don't know about the rest of you, but I would have comforted Beatrice. And Mrs. Merryweather was believable; they'll deny it, but there *are* teachers who just hate you for no reason.
It's good for all ages; kids, because it's alternately interesting and thrilling enough to keep their attention, while the details and the characters are enough to captivate other audiences. The scary parts are thrilling, the jokes are funny, and the villain was perfect for the situation.
Last, but not least, where most endings fail for me, this one was enough to make me read it again.
It's good for all ages; kids, because it's alternately interesting and thrilling enough to keep their attention, while the details and the characters are enough to captivate other audiences. The scary parts are thrilling, the jokes are funny, and the villain was perfect for the situation.
Last, but not least, where most endings fail for me, this one was enough to make me read it again.
Want to read
May 17, 2011I LOVE KATY TOWELL'S WEBSITE AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT SHE HAS COME UP WITH FOR HER BOOK. SHE IS VERY TALENTED AND BEFORE WE ALL KNOW IT SHE WILL BE GETTING MOVIE OFFERS FOR HER SKETCHES. GOOD LUCK AND CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE NEW STUFF ON AT WWW.SKARY.NET.
November 1, 2017
This was cute. A good middle grade horror book. Not too scary, but lots of intrigue. And, as most middle grade books do, it had a good moral at the end. I enjoyed it.
December 21, 2012
This book reminded me somewhat of "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" but I liked this book much more.
The scary children are Adelaide, Maggie, and Beatrice. They have been isolated from the rest of their peers, at the Madame Gertrude's School for girls, by the headmistress Mrs. Merryweather. She blames the three girls for just about anything that goes wrong so that they are in a constant state of punishment.
When the twelfth librarian, to work with the girls, reaches the school she is a breath of fresh air and kindness. Her name is Miss Delia. She likes the girls but mysteriously disappears on the very next day after her arrival at the school. The girls begin an investigation of her disappearance while simultaneously befriending a town boy named Steffen.
It turns out there have been several unexplained disappearances recently. Coincidentally, a carousel has landed in Widowsbury and that is just a complete anomaly in this town where everything runs the same way all the time.
I liked how we found out that each of the three girls had special abilities but those were not highlighted. In fact, it seemed like the skills might even be imagined.
Even though the girls are excluded that does not mean they are friends with each other from the get go, either. I really liked that. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and the culmination of the three working as a team to achieve some remarkable rescuing was very cool.
The concept of what was happening in the town and why evil needed to be satiated actually was very deep. The way it was described by the "keeper of the carousel" was so sad and far reaching. It made you think deeply about bullying and the scars of that and also how some people do cope unsatisfactorily with bullying through revenge. It was at this point in the book that I flipped it over to make sure it was young adult because I felt you would need some higher ordered thinking and emotions to grapple with the content.
This I think was another plus. As the reader you are taking in the information but wow, what a carefully crafted climax and lesson.
The scary children are Adelaide, Maggie, and Beatrice. They have been isolated from the rest of their peers, at the Madame Gertrude's School for girls, by the headmistress Mrs. Merryweather. She blames the three girls for just about anything that goes wrong so that they are in a constant state of punishment.
When the twelfth librarian, to work with the girls, reaches the school she is a breath of fresh air and kindness. Her name is Miss Delia. She likes the girls but mysteriously disappears on the very next day after her arrival at the school. The girls begin an investigation of her disappearance while simultaneously befriending a town boy named Steffen.
It turns out there have been several unexplained disappearances recently. Coincidentally, a carousel has landed in Widowsbury and that is just a complete anomaly in this town where everything runs the same way all the time.
I liked how we found out that each of the three girls had special abilities but those were not highlighted. In fact, it seemed like the skills might even be imagined.
Even though the girls are excluded that does not mean they are friends with each other from the get go, either. I really liked that. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow and the culmination of the three working as a team to achieve some remarkable rescuing was very cool.
The concept of what was happening in the town and why evil needed to be satiated actually was very deep. The way it was described by the "keeper of the carousel" was so sad and far reaching. It made you think deeply about bullying and the scars of that and also how some people do cope unsatisfactorily with bullying through revenge. It was at this point in the book that I flipped it over to make sure it was young adult because I felt you would need some higher ordered thinking and emotions to grapple with the content.
This I think was another plus. As the reader you are taking in the information but wow, what a carefully crafted climax and lesson.
January 13, 2017
This book was a like a cross between Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Little Princess, and Something Wicked This Way Comes.
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
✱ The Boneshaker
✱ The Flame in the Mist
✱ The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy:
✱ The Boneshaker
✱ The Flame in the Mist
✱ The Secret Order of the Gumm Street Girls
May 17, 2016
This was good. It took me a long time to slog through, despite it being middle grade. The story was interesting enough, and the illustrations were great - a couple were super creepy, which was awesome. I just felt like I had to force myself to read it because I still hadn't finished it. But it did go much quicker through the second half, once I sat myself down and dedicated real time to it.
One gripe I have is that the only boy the girls interact with ends up being the most active character in that he bails them out of things, he is the one with the plans, and has the things they need in his backpack... it just felt like it drove home the idea that girls can't solve problems and save the town without the help of boys/males. I understand that it is set in the late 1800's or early 1900's, but still. I think girls are/were actually more resourceful than that, even then.
One gripe I have is that the only boy the girls interact with ends up being the most active character in that he bails them out of things, he is the one with the plans, and has the things they need in his backpack... it just felt like it drove home the idea that girls can't solve problems and save the town without the help of boys/males. I understand that it is set in the late 1800's or early 1900's, but still. I think girls are/were actually more resourceful than that, even then.
January 21, 2014
I enjoyed this book a lot. I think that some of the illustrations for the age demographic were pretty scary but would work for the higher juvenile ages in like 8th/9th grade. Towell creates a wonderful story full of messages about right and wrong as well as a guide to bullies in a kids everyday life. It has a dark feel that I think would really spark middle school kids interest and maintain their attention. I am glad to see that Katy Towell has a published book out as I am an avid YouTube fan of hers!
August 27, 2011
I love Katy Towell (please check out her website "childrin r skary" and watch the awesome videos) and this is a pretty good freshman attempt at a novel, but there are too many places where it feels like she's making it up as she goes along for this to be a really effective plotting. The characters are wonderful as is the moral of the story and the illustrations are freakin' amazing. I wanted more of them. Maybe, though, Towell should write graphic novels.
February 15, 2012
In the end, quite a sweet book, though with some creepy descriptions that I would have found terrifying as a child. The pencil art is charming, though its unfinished quality may take some getting used to. I picked this up at the library not knowing anything about the author/illustrator and was quite pleasantly surprised.
November 10, 2011
Um...this was an okay book. But really, my expectations were really high, and they didn't really meet. I. Am. A. Huge fan of hers. I love all of her videos on youtube.com, and I guess I was expecting the book to be just like them, or at least as good as them.
May 17, 2011
I have seen all thre videos on youtube and i cant wait till i get a copy of it. Since i live in a small town with no book store it is quite hard to get it.But i will try to get it no matter what.
March 17, 2022
Enjoyable but not memorable.
January 28, 2013
Silly book, but in a cute way. Enjoyed it. It kind of reminded me of Hayao Miyazaki films and, of course, Tim Burton.
January 24, 2022
An amazing horror story for youngsters. It has the unique, creepy and magical touch of Katy Towell.
Es una historia asombrosa de terror infantil. Tiene el hermoso toque mágico único de Katy Towell.
Es una historia asombrosa de terror infantil. Tiene el hermoso toque mágico único de Katy Towell.
July 24, 2025
کمک کردن به آدمها کار خیر و بسیار خوبی است، اما اجر و پاداش چندانی ندارد.
قبل از هر چیز بگم که اگه دوست دارین دربارهی خلاصهی داستان، سابقهی جالب نویسنده، علت اینکه چرا توی عنوان بهجای «ترسناک» از «طرسناک» استفاده شده و... بیشتر بدونین، اینجا معرفی خودمونی و کاملی نوشتم که هیچ اسپویلی هم نداره.
حالا نظرم دربارهی خود کتاب:
۱
از محیط داستان شروع کنم. محیطی که داستان توش اتفاق میافته عجیب و جذابه. شاید در نگاه اول فکر کنیم «بیوهآباد» شهر کوچیکی مثل بقیهی شهرهاست، اما از اسمش مشخصه که باید جای متفاوتی باشه. بهخصوص بعد از طوفان دوازده روزهی دوازده سال پیش که خیلیها میگن دروازهای شیطانی رو باز کرده و چیزهای عجیبی ازش بیرون اومدن. نویسنده قصد نداره این شهر رو کامل برای ما تشریح کنه، از رازهاش بگه یا توضیح بده اتفاقات عجیب و غریب بعد از طوفان چی بوده که مردم رو تا این حد به هر چیز تازه و متفاوتی بدبین کرده. البته هر جایی لازم باشه اشارهای میکنه، اما بیشتر سعی داره ما رو با نتایج اون اتفاقات، که همون تغییر توی خلقوخوی مردمه، آشنا کنه. این کار رو هم خوب انجام میده. هرچی داستان پیش میره، از لابهلای مکالمهها و رفتارهای آدمهای شهر، کمکم میفهمیم چه جوی به شهر حاکمه. خودم طرفدار ابهام نیستم، اما ابهامی که این داستان داشت اذیتکننده نبود. چون چیزی رو ازت پنهان نمیکرد که ندونستنش به درک از داستان ضربه بزنه.
۲
شروع داستان جذابه. ورود دو تازهوارد به شهری جداافتاده که از تازهواردها هم استقبال نمیکنن. آشنایی با سه تا بچهای که بامزهان، اما چون متفاوتن همه باهاشون بدرفتاری دارن. ورود شخصیت ناجی (کتابدار جدید که متفاوت از کتابدارهای قبلیه) شاید کمی کلیشهای باشه، اما خب این کتاب اصلاً با کلیشهها کاری نداره و خیلی زود این کلیشه رو میشکنه.
۳
گفتم که داستان با کلیشهها کاری نداره. در واقع برعکس، بهنظرم نویسنده قصد کلیشهکشی هم داشته. برای مثال توی بیوهآباد عدد سیزده عدد نحسی نیست، بلکه عدد دوازده نحسه. یا مثلاً میبینیم که بچههای مدرسه با ادلید بدرفتاری میکنن، چون معتقدن گرگینه است و ما چون طرفدار این شخصیت هستیم، توی ذهنمون اینجوری تصویر میکنیم که خب ادلید گرگینه نیست و بقیه دارن اشتباه میکنن. اما (view spoiler)[ نویسنده توی فصلهای آخر غافلگیرمون میکنه و وقتی داستان گذشتهی ادلید رو میشنویم، به این نتیجه میرسیم که شاید ادلید واقعاً رگههایی از گرگینگی رو داره (اما نویسنده قضاوت رو بر عهدهی خود ما میذاره). اینجا هم یک کلیشهی دیگه رو توی ذهن ما میشکنه که موضوع همیشه قضاوت زودهنگام نیست، شاید حتی قضاوته درست باشه، اما نتیجهای که ازش میگیریم (طرد کردن فردی متفاوت) درست نباشه. (hide spoiler)] کلاً از این دست کلیشهکشیها توی داستان زیاد دیده میشه.
۴
داستان ضرباهنگ خوبی داره. هیچجایی خستهکننده نمیشه، داستان مدام در حال پیشرویه و احساس نمیکنی که نویسنده جایی رو آب بسته.
۵
کتاب طراحیهایی داره که بهنظرم خیلی به فضاسازی کمک کرده. بهخصوص که تمام این طراحیها کار خود نویسنده است. طراحیهایی که مثل خود کتاب عجیبن، گاهی وهمناکن و در مجموع جذابن.
(داخل پرانتز: موقع ترجمهی کتاب، تصاویر رو توی نسخهی الکترونیک میدیدم، اما وقتی نسخهی چاپی به دستم رسید، دیدم چقدر چاپشدهشون بهتره و حس رو عالیتر منتقل میکنه)
۶
داستان طنز خفیفی هم داره. درسته که داستان وحشت محسوب میشه، اما شخصیتهای اصلیش بامزهان. مکالمههاشون میتونه لبخند رو به لب آدم بیاره. در کل هم فضاسازی، هم ترکیب شخصیتها و هم این طنز من رو خیلی یاد ماجراهای بچههای بدشانس از لمونی اسنیکت میانداخت. البته کاملاً متفاوت بود، اما بهنظرم روح اون مجموعه رو میشد توی بعضی از جاهای این کتاب حس کرد.
۷
شخصیتپردازیش رو دوست داشتم. رشد شخصیتی بچهها در طول داستان مشخص بود. درک روند شکلگیری دوستیشون و پیشرفتش خیلی لذتبخش بود.
۸
ترسناکه؟ بهنظرم برای مخاطب هدفش بله. واقعاً میتونه کتاب ترسناک خوبی محسوب بشه. بهخصوص اوایل داستان که ندانستههامون بیشتر از دانستههامونه. اما برای مخاطبی که کمی سنش بالاتر باشه، شاید بشه هیجانانگیز دونستش.
۹
مفاهیم جالبی توی کتاب بهش پرداخته و غیرمستقیم نقد شده. از آثار مخرب قلدری گرفته تا نقد کنار گذاشتن افراد متفاوت از جامعه. برای همین بهنظرم آموزنده هم بود.
۱۰
با همهی این تفاسیر شاید بگین چرا چهار ستاره؟ خب، با اینکه نقطهی پایانی کتاب رو دوست داشتم، یعنی اتفاقی که در نهایت افتاد متناسب با داستان بود، اما بهنظرم توی توضیح اتفاقات پایانی کمی خامدستانه رفتار شده بود. میشد اون اتفاقات رو بهتر توضیح داد، رفتار شخصیت منفی داستان توی صحنهی پایانی رو اینقدر منفعل توصیف نکرد و کمی بیشتر به اون بخش پایانی پر و بال داده میشد. این باعث شد یک ستاره از کتاب کم کنم و دلم هم میسوزه. چون اگه واقعاً این ضعف رو نداشت، با خیال راحت بهش پنج میدادم.
در مجموع کتاب متفاوتی بود و خوندن داستانهای متفاوت، بین داستانهایی که احساس میکنی تا حد زیادی از روی دست هم نوشته شدن، حس خوبی داره.
February 12, 2018
his was an impulse borrow and read and a good example of why I like the library so much. A book catches your eye, you read it, and while it’s enjoyable, it’s a good thing you didn’t actually buy it (because for me, buying books = will reread in future).
Skary Childrin follows three girls (and one boy). There’s Adelaide, who is supposed to look like a werewolf but that isn’t really obvious in the illustrations. She has really keen senses though. And then there’s Maggie, who’s very quiet and spend a lot of the book being grumpy. Then there’s Beatrice, who’s the youngest and can see ghosts. She’s the sweetest character of the lot but the way she’s drawn made me think of a Black Eyed Child (maybe that was the inspiration?)
The three children are students at Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls and pretty much feared and hated by everyone. In a town that was cursed 12 years ago, anyone that’s different automatically gets the side-eye (or worse). But one day, a new librarian named Miss Delia comes to town. The girls and Miss Delia get off to a good start but Miss Delia mysteriously disappears. Desperate to find the one teacher who was kind to them, the girls enlist the help of Steffen and realise that Miss Delia’s disappearance may be connected to a string of disappearances happening around town.
What I liked the book was basically the concept. A town where the weird and strange exists sounded interestingly scary and I thought the three girls sounded like fitting protagonists (they were).
The mystery was also pretty decent - the girls’ narrative was interspersed with scenes of people disappearing after riding a mysterious carousel and that was enough to keep me reading until the end. It turns out that I managed to pinpoint the villain the minute he appeared, but I didn’t figure out the motive until the end.
Interspersed with the story are scenes that look to be pencil drawings. They’re pretty childish in style, so maybe it’s supposed to be one of the girls’ drawings? I thought it was a nice complement to the story.
What I wasn’t so enthusiastic about was the narrative style. It reads like a third person limited but it was hard to figure out who the POV character was (or if it was just skipping around the whole time), which hindered the suspension of disbelief. And like I mentioned before, the villain was pretty easy to identify, mostly because the majority of the book has them trapped at school rather than doing much investigating.
Overall, this is a pretty fun book for readers (the target audience are probably people way younger than me) who like spooky stuff that isn’t horror.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
Skary Childrin follows three girls (and one boy). There’s Adelaide, who is supposed to look like a werewolf but that isn’t really obvious in the illustrations. She has really keen senses though. And then there’s Maggie, who’s very quiet and spend a lot of the book being grumpy. Then there’s Beatrice, who’s the youngest and can see ghosts. She’s the sweetest character of the lot but the way she’s drawn made me think of a Black Eyed Child (maybe that was the inspiration?)
The three children are students at Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls and pretty much feared and hated by everyone. In a town that was cursed 12 years ago, anyone that’s different automatically gets the side-eye (or worse). But one day, a new librarian named Miss Delia comes to town. The girls and Miss Delia get off to a good start but Miss Delia mysteriously disappears. Desperate to find the one teacher who was kind to them, the girls enlist the help of Steffen and realise that Miss Delia’s disappearance may be connected to a string of disappearances happening around town.
What I liked the book was basically the concept. A town where the weird and strange exists sounded interestingly scary and I thought the three girls sounded like fitting protagonists (they were).
The mystery was also pretty decent - the girls’ narrative was interspersed with scenes of people disappearing after riding a mysterious carousel and that was enough to keep me reading until the end. It turns out that I managed to pinpoint the villain the minute he appeared, but I didn’t figure out the motive until the end.
Interspersed with the story are scenes that look to be pencil drawings. They’re pretty childish in style, so maybe it’s supposed to be one of the girls’ drawings? I thought it was a nice complement to the story.
What I wasn’t so enthusiastic about was the narrative style. It reads like a third person limited but it was hard to figure out who the POV character was (or if it was just skipping around the whole time), which hindered the suspension of disbelief. And like I mentioned before, the villain was pretty easy to identify, mostly because the majority of the book has them trapped at school rather than doing much investigating.
Overall, this is a pretty fun book for readers (the target audience are probably people way younger than me) who like spooky stuff that isn’t horror.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
September 28, 2012
Have you seen that Care Bear television episode or movie where there is a boy who is bullied and this monster takes him over and he becomes super creepy? He was so evil no one was sure the Care Stare would be enough. It came to mind near the end; which is strange because Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow is far from cheesy or sappy—but it may cause nausea. However, the nausea would come from picturing oozing vomit-covered bodies, and that crow plucking at a worm—no! a finger?! Or physical illness may result from serious anxiety, because there is something seriously creepy going on in Widowsbury and our Skary Childrin are not going to have an easy time figuring out what is going on, and even then…
"It was a very odd thing, how starkly the atmosphere changed once one crossed the border between the park and the woods. It was as if someone had drawn a line in the perpetually brown lawn of the park and said, All right. This is ours. The rest is for evil. It wasn’t merely the landscape that changed. The sky was actually darker in the woods. The park sounded miles away even if one stood exactly at the edge. Here the trees reached their naked limbs up and scratched at the dark sky, distortions in the bark making faces paralyzed in anguish. Mist crept low to the ground, curling around each whispering tree as if searching for something it had lost." (158).
Katy Towell has certainly captured that atmospheric in her isolated community of Widowsbury and even more specifically, Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls. The Headmistress is horrid and so are most of the students. There are the ghosts and the Wailing Room. And there are three peculiar girls: “Adelaide Foss has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie Borland is abnormally strong, and Beatrice Alfred claims to be able to see ghosts (she’s also an atrocious speller)” (jacket copy). Things are creepy and weird, and not solely in that quirky-charming kind of way. No, Towell may have humor and style, but she is hard-core set on sending some real chills her young readers’ way. And very real uncertainty. If Towell were to be accused of using a cookie-cutter, it would be deliciously warped one. Maybe something borrowed from when scary stories where still skary.
A less peculiar yet delightfully unusual boy shares the narrative and the adventure: Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard’s School for Boys (where he cannot afford to attend). He is homeschooled, invents various contraptions, and eats peanut butter sandwiches. He is our access to the world outside Gertrude’s and proves a great counterweight to the peculiar girls. While readers are sure to empathize with the girls, our empathy with Steffan is the more “normal” outcast. Still, especially thinking as a girl, the “gifts” the girls have aren’t the sort a 9-12 would see as kick-ass in real life application, not when normal could mean torment avoidance. And while one would think ‘at least the three girls have each other’ that isn’t the case—not initially. It is only when Miss Delia Peet—the new Librarian—shows up—and then disappears—that everything changes for Adelaide, Beatrice, and Maggie. Steffen finds his own pivotal meeting…
The chapters can be long, and we can be left hanging and wondering a bit. The chaptering makes sense, its just something even Natalya noted as unusual. Towell apparently trusts herself and the attention spans of readers—and well she should. The story isn’t interested toward racing to the end, more like creaking down the hallway and peering through cracks and keyholes in locked doors. I was unable to read this without interruption, but it is absorbing and the story favors an anticipation that has you peeking through fingers—you want resolution and hopefully one person to survive. But there are hardly guarantees. And then you are near the end and the girls, locked in a room while the towns folk are being, well—anyway, the girls are actually getting to know one another while they pass the time in a state other than abject terror.
I see another book coming. The girls and Steffen are resourceful, having interesting abilities, and are very brave, very good, and pretty likeable. You know, with that storm 12 years previous having opened up a gate for weird things to enter Widowsbury, the inhabitants of Pernicious Valley could have their own “Hellsmouth under Sunnydale” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Katy Towell creates a great dynamic between characters, and she translates horrible images really well—whether it be someone’s humiliation on stage or their sharp nails scritching on your upper story window in the middle of the night. She is a nice addition to the relatively small collection of truly creepy tales haunting the juvenile fiction shelves.
recommendations… Upper Grade-school into Middle; girls and boys. It is not as scary as Chris Priestly and his Tales of Terror, but it flinches less than Adam Gidwitz in his A Tale Dark and Grimm where he warns you something outright gross or evil is about to happen—I wasn’t sure with Towell… She doesn’t seem as interested being clever so much as just entertaining and meaningful—normal juvenile fiction fare—only with that nice touch abnormal and–well, children have grown out of carousels by this age right? Anyway–if you like scary stories; messages about the evils of bullies; and/or courageous figures with peculiarities.
of note… this is a good R.eader’s I.mbibing P.eril (RIP) read for your youth; even the more sensitive and/or non-reader may find this a pleasant foray into the skarier stories–you’ll at least be sure they’ll never take candy from a stranger again anyhow.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
"It was a very odd thing, how starkly the atmosphere changed once one crossed the border between the park and the woods. It was as if someone had drawn a line in the perpetually brown lawn of the park and said, All right. This is ours. The rest is for evil. It wasn’t merely the landscape that changed. The sky was actually darker in the woods. The park sounded miles away even if one stood exactly at the edge. Here the trees reached their naked limbs up and scratched at the dark sky, distortions in the bark making faces paralyzed in anguish. Mist crept low to the ground, curling around each whispering tree as if searching for something it had lost." (158).
Katy Towell has certainly captured that atmospheric in her isolated community of Widowsbury and even more specifically, Madame Gertrude’s School for Girls. The Headmistress is horrid and so are most of the students. There are the ghosts and the Wailing Room. And there are three peculiar girls: “Adelaide Foss has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie Borland is abnormally strong, and Beatrice Alfred claims to be able to see ghosts (she’s also an atrocious speller)” (jacket copy). Things are creepy and weird, and not solely in that quirky-charming kind of way. No, Towell may have humor and style, but she is hard-core set on sending some real chills her young readers’ way. And very real uncertainty. If Towell were to be accused of using a cookie-cutter, it would be deliciously warped one. Maybe something borrowed from when scary stories where still skary.
A less peculiar yet delightfully unusual boy shares the narrative and the adventure: Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard’s School for Boys (where he cannot afford to attend). He is homeschooled, invents various contraptions, and eats peanut butter sandwiches. He is our access to the world outside Gertrude’s and proves a great counterweight to the peculiar girls. While readers are sure to empathize with the girls, our empathy with Steffan is the more “normal” outcast. Still, especially thinking as a girl, the “gifts” the girls have aren’t the sort a 9-12 would see as kick-ass in real life application, not when normal could mean torment avoidance. And while one would think ‘at least the three girls have each other’ that isn’t the case—not initially. It is only when Miss Delia Peet—the new Librarian—shows up—and then disappears—that everything changes for Adelaide, Beatrice, and Maggie. Steffen finds his own pivotal meeting…
The chapters can be long, and we can be left hanging and wondering a bit. The chaptering makes sense, its just something even Natalya noted as unusual. Towell apparently trusts herself and the attention spans of readers—and well she should. The story isn’t interested toward racing to the end, more like creaking down the hallway and peering through cracks and keyholes in locked doors. I was unable to read this without interruption, but it is absorbing and the story favors an anticipation that has you peeking through fingers—you want resolution and hopefully one person to survive. But there are hardly guarantees. And then you are near the end and the girls, locked in a room while the towns folk are being, well—anyway, the girls are actually getting to know one another while they pass the time in a state other than abject terror.
I see another book coming. The girls and Steffen are resourceful, having interesting abilities, and are very brave, very good, and pretty likeable. You know, with that storm 12 years previous having opened up a gate for weird things to enter Widowsbury, the inhabitants of Pernicious Valley could have their own “Hellsmouth under Sunnydale” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). Katy Towell creates a great dynamic between characters, and she translates horrible images really well—whether it be someone’s humiliation on stage or their sharp nails scritching on your upper story window in the middle of the night. She is a nice addition to the relatively small collection of truly creepy tales haunting the juvenile fiction shelves.
recommendations… Upper Grade-school into Middle; girls and boys. It is not as scary as Chris Priestly and his Tales of Terror, but it flinches less than Adam Gidwitz in his A Tale Dark and Grimm where he warns you something outright gross or evil is about to happen—I wasn’t sure with Towell… She doesn’t seem as interested being clever so much as just entertaining and meaningful—normal juvenile fiction fare—only with that nice touch abnormal and–well, children have grown out of carousels by this age right? Anyway–if you like scary stories; messages about the evils of bullies; and/or courageous figures with peculiarities.
of note… this is a good R.eader’s I.mbibing P.eril (RIP) read for your youth; even the more sensitive and/or non-reader may find this a pleasant foray into the skarier stories–you’ll at least be sure they’ll never take candy from a stranger again anyhow.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/20...
May 2, 2018
Beautifully illustrated book with a dark, dark undertone. If you like stories of the grizzly supernatural in the vein of Monster House, Tales of Terror, Paranorman, Coraline, then you will definitely enjoy this book. Katy Towell has her own unique style that I enjoyed reading /immensely/, and if you're unsure of it still, she does a reading of the prolong on her youtube channel, which is worth a visit regardless because of the sheer amount of content she puts out, and the master level stories she weaves
March 17, 2021
Es un libro que escribí por su portada y realmente no me arrepiento de haberlo leído. Es para los niños una introducción a la literatura y, en lo personal, una amigable entrada al mundo de la fantasía. No trata solo de mágica trama, sino que resulta interesante la interacción de los personajes y el desenvolvimiento de sus sentimientos más allá de lo que se dice de ellos entre murmullos. Si tienes un hijo pequeño y quieres inculcarle el hábito de la lectura, este es un libro perfecto.
October 24, 2023
I would have given 4 stars for the story and the wonderful Skary Childrin but the telling is disjointed and important background information is told sporadically without making significant connections. Too often we were told more than we cared to know about minor characters while our curiosity about the Skary Childrin was never fully satisfied. Still, it was a unique plot and there were some lovely scares.
February 12, 2018
I got this book in my first book haul this year, at a library sale. It's a interesting, quick read. It might not be as quickly a read for others, but I read it in a few hours.
I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped I would, but that's because it didn't appeal to me a whole lot I guess. I'd suggest giving it a try, just see if you would like it or not. At least then, you gave it a chance.
I didn't like it as much as I'd hoped I would, but that's because it didn't appeal to me a whole lot I guess. I'd suggest giving it a try, just see if you would like it or not. At least then, you gave it a chance.
November 13, 2017
I loved this book so much.
From the first page to the last I was enthralled in the insane and slightly horrifying world being built around me. It was unique and I'm a huge fan of this writing style.
But hm, maybe I'm biased.
From the first page to the last I was enthralled in the insane and slightly horrifying world being built around me. It was unique and I'm a huge fan of this writing style.
But hm, maybe I'm biased.
May 26, 2018
I never updated this to Goodreads but I read this book in about 2014 and honestly it was just so interestingly creepy. I've really wanted to re-read it since and I totally recommend this book to anyone, all ages because I 've never read a book like this.
July 18, 2018
What a delightfully scary book! I picked this up for a fun read, and I wasn't disappointed. It's a wonderfully spooky ghostly tale where the happiest parts of town aren't quite what they seem. Four misfit children have to solve the mystery before it's too late, unless it's too late already.
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